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must  there 
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“ This  is  the  day  the  Lord  hath  made , 
we  shall  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  it." 


WHY  MUST  THERE  BE  A 
VICTORY  CAMPAIGN? 


THIS  is  a perfectly  natural  question,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  we  have  be- 
come so  accustomed  to  campaigns  of  one 
kind  and  another  as  to  expect  them  with  more 
or  less  regularity.  The  world’s  work  is  not 
yet  finished,  and  until  it  is  special  effort  will 
be  necessary  to  accomplish  the  tasks  which 
will  continually  confront  us,  whether  in  poli- 
tical or  commercial  life,  in  social  affairs  or 
in  the  realm  of  religious  obligation.  Every 
day,  every  year,  reveals  new  opportunities 
and  presents  new  responsibilities  which  must 
be  met,  each  in  its  own  time,  since  they  can- 
not be  paid  with  the  coin  of  yesterday  nor 
honorably  be  left  until  tomorrow.  Baptists 
cannot,  ought  not  to,  expect  exemption  from 
the  demands  of  this  tragic  period  of  the 
world’s  history.  Ordinary  gifts,  customary 
service,  are  not  sufficient.  Therefore,  to  the 
question,  “Will  there  be  a special  financial  cam- 
paign this  year?”  there  is  but  one  answer: 
There  must  be!  All  those  familiar  with  the 
situation  recognize  this  necessity  and  it  would 
be  unfortunate  for  a contrary  impression  to 
prevail.  This  statement  gives  the  facts: 

First. — For  the  conduct  of  the  work  of  the 
eight  national  organizations  -which  co-operated 


in  the  Million  Dollar  Campaign  last  year,  and 
are  co-operating  this  year,  there  are  three 
sources  of  income: 

1.  Legacies,  interest  on  invested  funds, 

matured  annuities,  etc.:  The  amount  from 

this  source  can  be  calculated  in  advance  with 
considerable  degree  of  accuracy.  For  this 
year  it  is  $611,125. 

2.  Apportionments  to  the  churches:  The 
total  amount  apportioned  to  the  churches  is, 
of  course,  definitely  known,  $1,992,464,  or  $407,- 
541  more  than  was  received  from  the  churches 
last  year,  an  increase  of  approximately  twenty- 
five  per  cent.  The  amount  to  be  received  obvi- 
ously cannot  be  known  until  March  31,  1919. 
It  should  not  be  less  than  the  full  apportion- 
ment. 

3.  Individual  gifts:  These  gifts  include  all 
personal  contributions  over  and  above  regular 
offerings  through  the  churches  on  apportion- 
ments. They  range  from  one  or  two  dollars 
to  many  thousands  of  dollars.  Some  are 
offered  voluntarily,  others  are  solicited. 

Second. — The  money  derived  from  the  first 
and  second  sources  of  income  has  never  in 
the  history  of  the  denomination  been  sufficient 
to  meet  the  needs,  and  were  it  secured  in  full 
this  year  there  would  still  be  a large  balance 
to  raise.  As  in  the  past,  this  must  be  sought 
from  individuals.  That  the  income  from  the 
first  two  sources,  even  though  fully  realized, 
will  not  be  sufficient  is  very  conclusively  shown 


by  the  fact  that  the  following  important  items 
are  definitely  not  covered  by  the  apportion- 
ment sent  out  to  the  churches : 

1.  The  expense  of  the  War  Commission. 

2.  The  Morehouse  Memorial  Fund  for  the 
care  of  aged  and  disabled  ministers  and  mis- 
sionaries and  their  dependents.  The  denomina- 
tion is  under  moral  obligation  to  raise  this 
fund,  than  which  none  other  makes  a stronger 
appeal. 

3.  The  work  of  rehabilitation  after  the  war, 
particularly  of  our  Baptist  churches  in  France. 
Methodists  have  appropriated  $5,000,000  for 
this  type  of  work. 

4.  The  education  of  Baptist  soldier  boys 
returned  from  overseas.  Other  denominations 
are  raising  large  sums. 

5.  In  addition,  each  of  our  eight  organiza- 
tions is  seriously  embarrassed  for  lack  of 
means  to  meet  special  obligations  growing  out 
of  the  war,  for  which  last  year’s  income  could 
not  provide,  and  for  which  an  ordinary  in- 
come will  not  be  sufficient  this  year. 

Third. — A special  campaign  will  be  needed 
to  help  the  churches  raise  their  apportion- 
ments. In  no  single  year  have  these  been 
given  in  full.  Even  last  year  they  fell  behind 
$149,276,  the  balance  being  made  up  from  the 
Million  Dollar  Fund.  It  is  not  intended,  how- 
ever, that  this  effort  on  behalf  of  the  appor- 
tionments shall  be  a separate  campaign,  but 


rather  one  phase  of  the  general  campaign.  Nor 
is  it  proposed  to  make  a public  appeal  in  the 
churches  for  more  than  the  apportionments. 
The  slogan  will  be,  “Over  the  top  with  the 
apportionments.”  Not  more  than  one-third  of 
the  membership  of  our  churches  give  anything 
towards  the  apportionments.  Here  is  a legiti- 
mate and  what  ought  to  prove  a fruitful 
field  for  cultivation. 

Fourth. — A campaign  is  necessary  in  which 
to  raise  the  balance  needed  over  and  above 
the  amount  secured  from  the  first  two  sources 
of  income.  This  must  be  sought  from  in- 
dividuals. As  a matter  of  fact,  campaigns 
for  these  personal  contributions  have  been 
conducted  every  year  in  the  past;  not  always 
after  the  manner  of  the  Million  Dollar  Drive; 
but  either  publicly  or  privately,  it  has  been  nec- 
essary, as  it  is  desirable,  to  give  individuals 
opportunity  to  make  these  larger  gifts,  which 
for  the  sake  of  the  churches  ought  not  to  go 
through  their  treasuries.  Without  such  gifts 
and  the  campaigns  in  which  they  have  been 
secured,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
maintain  our  work,  as  it  will  be  impossible 
now  and  in  the  future  to  carry  it  on. 

The  details  of  the  campaign  are  being 
worked  out  and  the  revised  total  to  be  raised 
will  soon  be  determined.  These  will  be  an- 
nounced when  ready. 

Fifth. — From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen 
that  what  has  been  necessary  in  normal  years 
is  imperative  in  this  critical  year.  We  cannot 


know  the  world’s  needs  as  this  war  has  re- 
vealed them  to  us  and  remain  impassive.  As 
Baptists  we  cannot  be  content  to  let  others 
bear  these  burdens  while  we  raise  simply  our 
moderate  apportionments,  or  less.  We  cannot 
expect  growth  and  blessing  upon  our  work  and 
w ithhold  the  means  necessary  to  develop  those 
enterprises  which  have  providentially  been 
placed  under  our  direction,  and  which  are 
now  in  such  sore  need.  We  cannot  know 
what  the  Methodists  are  doing  or  hear  of  the 
magnificent  programs  that  the  Presbyterians 
and  others  are  formulating  and  fail  to  make 
plans  commensurate  with  our  obligations.  That 
is,  we  cannot  fail  to  rise  to  our  responsibil- 
ities in  this  day  of  the  world’s  need  and  pre- 
serve our  self-respect  as  a denomination.  We 
must  undertake  great  things  for  God. 

Sixth. — What  now  are  our  resources  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  task?  In  the  first 
place,  there  is  complete  harmony  and  unifica- 
tion in  the  plans  for  our  eight  national  organi- 
zations. Do  we  fully  realize  that  for  the  first 
time  in  our  history  we  are  doing  our  primary 
work  as  one  body?  We  still  have  and  rejoice 
in  our  historic  societies  and  our  newer  boards, 
but  they  are  all  thoroughly  united  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Laymen’s  National  Commit- 
tee to  accomplish  a work  which  all  realize 
could  not  be  accomplished  under  the  divided 
leadership  and  responsibilities  of  other  days. 

We  have  a great  work  in  this  and  other 
lands,  bequeathed  to  us  by  our  fathers,  devel- 


oped  by  our  own  more  recent  efforts,  a work 
for  which  we  are  profoundly  grateful  and  to 
which  we  can  with  enthusiasm  and  confidence 
give  our  best  endeavor  and  our  unstinted  finan- 
cial support. 

We  have  a numerical  and  financial  strength 
as  a denomination  which  makes  failure  un- 
thinkable, for  surely  we  shall  not  exhibit  our 
statistics  with  pride  and  then  fail  to  make  them 
mean  more  than  mere  figures. 

We  have  the  assurance  of  divine  co-opera- 
tion without  limit.  We  have  faith  and  prayer 
and  courage  and  all  those  spiritual  assets  which 
will  carry  us  over  every  obstacle.  In  view  of 
what  has  been  accomplished  by  the  forces  of 
righteousness  in  the  World  War,  in  view  of 
the  demonstrated  power  of  the  people  to  do 
undreamed  of  deeds  and  to  make  unheard  of 
sacrifices,  we  shall  not  hesitate  in  this  hour 
of  world  triumph  to  care  for  our  own. 


NATIONAL  COMMITTEE  OF 
NORTHERN  BAPTIST  LAYMEN 
200  Fifth  Avenue,  Room  662,  New  York  City 


No.  59.  Ed.  2.  I00M.  12-18. 


